PILGRIMAGE IN BRITAIN.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 20101, 3 December 1930, Page 4

PILGRIMAGE IN BRITAIN.

BEAUTIFUL RUINS. PROFESSOR MAOIILLAN DKOWN'S TOUR.

Professor J. Mac/imian J.ir UM made of his tour of England and Scotland an ecclesiastical anrl literary pilgrimage. Buying a car in London, he and his daughter, Miss V. Macmillan liroivn, set out to visit all the great abbeys and historic places they could fiud. They covered many hundreds of miles, renewed many friendships, and have returned to Christeluuch convinced that Britain ia ono of the most beautiful countries in the world. '•'There are everywhere most beautiful ruins of ecclesiastical buildings," said the Professor yesterday, "allowing how thickly in the middle ages Britain was strewn with Christian propagandists. In Dartmoor and tho other moors, wo constant 1 y came across villages named after the saints. All the names came from Ireland, showing that Ireland has been one of the most religious countries of Britain if not of all Europo. When wo visited tho Continent, we saw other ecclesiastical ruins, but none were as striking as those in England.''

Beautiful Tintern Abbey. Their motor tour began from London down tlie Cornish "ltivicra." Near Falmouth they saw the fino rhododendron gardens of Air Gill, tlie best grower in England. They went oil to Land's End and round the west eoast —the ancient sailor place and adventurer plaeo of Queen Elizabeth's time. They visited particularly all the spots connected with the legend of King Arthur, including Glastonbury Abbey, which is now being uncovered. After a day of travel in the " Lorna Doone" country, they came to Tintagel, where they stayed at a new hotel above King Arthur's castlo. At Tintern Abbey, the place made famous by Wordsworth's lines, they were told by the caretaker of many other New Zealand visitors.

"We saw nearly all the abbeys nnd ecclesiastical buildings in Britain," said the Professor, "and Tintern was the most beautiful."

Welsh Language Thriving. During tho trip through Wales, he noticed that the Welsh language was well preserved and was not dying out as Cornish had done. In Wales all tlie young people were brought up to speak their native language ho that there was little likelihood ol ! its falling into disuse. Leeds, though an industrial town, had very bcautifil suburbs. They went north to the English lakes—Grasmero and the others—and thence past an ancient stone circle, wider than Stoneheiige, towards the border. In Scotland they were the guests of Sir Herbert Maxwell, and saw the trees which his forefathers had brought from Nesv Zealand growing beautifully under protection. After going to Loch Trool, where Robert Bruce hid and nursed the movement for the independence of Scotland, they came into Professor Macmillan Brown's own country of Ayrshire. There he met the widow of the founder of the Maemillan publishing house, and established the fact that her hutband and he were perhaps relatives, lie hnd further research into the name Brown, and its possible connexion with Robert Burns.

Durham Cathedral. After passing through his native town, Irvine, they went north to Glasgow, where the Professor divided his time between the old Cathedral and the old University, now a railway station. Going westward and north by Loch Lomond, they enmo into the true Celtic country. Returning through Perthshire and by the lakes again, they traversed th" Rob Roy country eastward to Edinburgh. Further south, through the tweed-making country, they found many fine old abbeys. Crossing tho border again, they visited Durham Cathedral, where Professor Macmillan Brown heard the most beautiful choral singing of all. They continued south to York and 6o on slowly down to London. The European tour began at Hamburg and was continued in the towns of tho Rhine, Munich, the Dolomites of Italy, Vienna, Geneva, and France. Many of the old German towns the Professor found intensely interesting. Tho Dolomites, named after a French Professor who first called attention to such a peculiar coral formation in the mountains, were exceptionally beautiful. In Vienna, he was escorted about by a Miss Dodgson, the niece of the author of "Alico in Wonderland."

Old World Universities. Regarding universities, Professor Macmillan Brown said that except for the intensive research work they aro doing in Germany, the universities of tlie Old World were not now advancing. Ho found everywhere a lack of money for extending courses and specialising. " There has been a revival in Germany," said the Frofessor. "To meet tho "chasm in tlieir finances, they are instituting a great deal of research work in every direction, especially in farming. Fundamentally, Germany remains a farming country, und so they have turned their attention to agricultural research for their own purposes. Yet, strangely enough, in some parts, dogs are still to be seen drawing ploughs." The land in Germany was everywhere well cultivated, and growing crops. There were no fences in the fields, in marked contrast with England where, for tho rearing of animals, tho farms were all fenced in. They werebuildinf new steamers in Germany, but ships were lying idle.

English Colleges Visited. In Knglinid, Professor Maemillau Brown <li<l not give much attention to the universities, lie visited his old co re"-o Oxford, and at Leeds University renewed his acquaintance with Professor A. J. Grant. Professor Grant, who recently lectured in history at Canterbury College, during Dr. J. Xlicrlit's absence, seemed to have in mind further visit to New Zealand. From j e eds lie visited Kiveaux Abbey with Professor Grant and Professor Connal, whose place was taken by Professor Tluuh Stewart, formerly of Canterbury College before he became Principal of University College, Nottingham.